Furnace-charging apparatus.



CHE. BEDELL. PURNACE GHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MTNESEES:

' ATTPRNEY.

l0. E. BBDBLL. FURNAE CHARGING APPARATUS.

l .APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911. 1,012,235 Patented Dec. 19, y1911'.

2 SHEETS-SMM z.

WITNESEE: I I @fw/342% .Anuman l by a powerful thrust may be given themaprovide a mechanical device whereby skelp ving the speed of a motor or other power whichi 'I i i 'CARL E. BEDELL, OEYWARWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WHEEL- ING STEEL da IBONYCOMPANY, A CORPOBATON OF 'WEST VIRGINIA.

Specification of application filed June 2,

imanes.;

To all "whom it may concern:

vBe it known that I, CARL E. BnonLL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of liarwood, county of Ohio, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Furnace-Charging Apparatus, of which the f ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to furnacecharging apparatus, and specifically to an automatic device for charging metal into'a heating furnace.

The primary object of the invention is to and like material may be conveniently and expeditiously introduced into a furnace.

A further object is to provide a device for charging-material into a heating furnace, which is located wholly Without and is wholly disconnected from the furnace, 'whereterial for directing the latter comparatively long' distances, and whose throw may be regnlated` for depositing the material at desired points by simply increasing or reducmechanism ei iployed for driving.

- Another object within the contemplation of the invention is to provide in a charging apparatus a revolving magnetic wheel whereby the metal is seized and delivered or directed forward int-othe furnace.

"ll/'ith these and other important objects in view, the invention finally consists in the features of construction,- arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be exemplified, reference being had tc the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, the elevating mechanism being shown in inoperative position; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sance; Fig. Sis a View similar to Fig. 1, showing-the parts of the invention in norznal operative position; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line Affi, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailfview, partly in section, of the magnetic wheel.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters. distinguish like parts throughout the several views-1 indicates a loading table or bench which has a plurality of supports 2 mounted on its top for Letters VPatent. Patented Dec.'19, 1911. 1911. serial No. 630,966.

other material, to be charged into the heating furnace-4, said table being located in front of the mouth or door 5 of the furnace and being, preferably, mounted upon wheels 6 and arranged to travel along trackrails 7 across the front of the furnace whereb y the machine maybe adjusted to any desired position with respect to the latter. Mounted upon the front end of the table and located laterally of the position-occupled by the pile 3 of material to be charged, is the upright member of an angular supporting frame 8 which has a member 8al in overhanging relation to said pile. Brackets 9 are mounted on the rear face of the framemember 8a. Said brackets are either magnetil' cally isolated from .the frame, or areA made of brass `or other non-magnetic material. Journaled in said bracket-s so as to lie transversely of the table, is a-shaft 10 upon which 1s lixed a magnetic wheeL-designated generally by the numeral 11. .Said wheel comprises a pair of circular disks 12 having portions of their opposing faces in engagement, substantially as shown in Fig. 5. Provided in the adjacent faces of said disks are voppositely facing circular groovesor channels 18, concentric'with said disks, in which is mounted a circular magnet coi-l 14, Y. insulated from hsaid disks, to -which leads a pair of current-conducting wires 15,'the latter being herein shown as leading through f or along a channel provided therefor in the shaft V10 and in one of the disks l2. Sliprings 16 mounted on and insulated from said shaft have brushes 17, to which lead wires 18, in contact therewith. An annular airspace 19 is provided between the coil 14 and the periphery of the wheel 11, and a shield, vor protecting ring 2G, of non-magnetic material is shown disposed across said airspace and mounted in the opposing diskiianges 12a.

The centers or engaging body portions of the disks l2 and the shaft 10 together constitute a core for the magnet, and the sepa-- rated peripheralflanges 12a of the'disks constitute the poles of the magnet. Magnetism supporting the pile 3 of plates; skelp, or

transmitted to ,a pair of arms 22 one of which is pivot'ally connected to and depends from the outer end of each arm 21, and thence is transmitted. to a pair of rollers 23 of magnetic material which are mounted on a brass shaft 23@ whose opposite ends are journalcd in the opposite lower ends oit said arms 22.

To provide for lifting but one piece of skelp at a time, rollers 23 are arranged so as to be laterally adjustable on shaft 23a. By varying the'distance of the rollers from the magnetized arms '22, the lifting power of said rollers will be strengthened or weakened respectively as the air gap between rollers 23 and their respective arms 22 is diminished or increased.

While the construction or arrangement above described --for varying the strength or lifting power ofthe rollers is deemed pret erable, it is obvious that other strength varying means may be employed, if desired.

The weight of the arms 2l and and rollers 23 normally maintains the latter iii engagement with the topmost piece of skelp in the pile 3; hence, magnetism is communicated tothe said topmost piece and, when said rollers are elevated, the front end of said piece is elevated therewith.

The wheel 1l is driven at a rapid rate of speed, any preferred form of gearing or driving mechanism being employed. The gearing herein shown comprises a horizontal drive-shaft 24- having bevel-gear connection, as shown' at 25, with a vertical shait 2G which is,'in turn, connected by bevel-gears, as shown at 28, to shaft 10.

F or elevating the rollers 23'to eti'cct the raising of the front end of a piece of: skelp into engagement with the periphery of the .magnetic Wheel 1l, any appropriate means may be employed, that herein shown being at present preferred onV account of its simplicity, and consisting of a crank-arm 27 fixed to, or formed integral with, one of the arms 21, giving the latter substantially bell-crank form, and an operating lever 29 pivotally connected to the'lower, or free, end of said arm 27. As is obvious, a rear. Wardly directed pull upon the lever 29 effects the elevation of arms 21and 22 and of rollers 23, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in` Fig. 3. The piece oi metal is elevated from the table with the v rollers 23 and is thus carried into contact with the periphery 'of the rapidly rotating wheel 11, as shown in Fig. 3 wherein in full lilies the device is shown in the act o'f pick; ing up the last sheet of the pile. Being elevated against said wheel, the plate is seized thereby, owing to the magnetism of the wheel, and is carried forward over the furnace apron 30 and through the open mouth or door 5 into the'furnace, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 The force of the thrust and, consequently, the distance over which the metal piece is projected into the furnace is dependent upon the speed of the magnetic wheel. Hence, to regulate the force of the thrust, the speed of the wheel is increased or reduced as required.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide a novel, durable and etlicient furnace charging apparatus which is extremely simple in its construction and which re-P quires theseri'ices of but one man in its operation.

It will be obvious that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts composing the machine may be resorted to without departing from the general spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the ap pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe combination with a loading table, ot a charging apparatus comprising a frame in oi'erhanging relation to said table, a rotating magnetic wheel supported by said irame over said table, andv means for elevating metal from said table into contact with said wheel.

2. The combination with a loading table, of a charging apparatus comprising a frame in over-hanging relation to said table, a rotating magnetic wheel supported by said frame over said table, and manually operated mechanism for elevating metal from said table into contact with. said wheel.

3. rlhe combination with a loading table, of a charging apparatus comprising a frame in overhangiiig relation to said table, a rotating magnetic wheel supported by said 'l'rame over said table, and lever actuated mechanism for elevating metal from said' table into contact with said wheel.

4. T he combination with a loading table,

ot a charging apparatus comprising a frame in overhanging relation to said table, a rotating magnetic wheel supported by said frame over said table., njrignetized rollers normally in engagement with the topmost for elevating said roller to effect the raising of said plate into contact with the periphery of said wheel.

5. The combination with a movable support, of a frame mounted in fixed overhaiig-`` ing relation to said support, a wheel jourcombination with a loading table and plate4 elevating mechanism, ot a rotary magnetic wheel .mounted over said table, said wheel comprising a. pair oif circular d'isl s,la cir cular magnet coil disposed betweeinopposmetal plate carried by said table, and means ing faces of said disks, and means for Icony ducting. current to said coil.

7. In a furnace-charging apparatus, the combination with a loa ing ta le and plate elevating mechanism, of a rotary magnetic rwheel mounted over said table, said wheel comprising a pair of circular disks having oppositely disposed circular grooves in their adjacent faces, and a circular magnet coil located in van electric circuit and seated in said grooves, an'openair-space being formed between said coil and the plane o the periphery of said disks.

8. In 'a furnace-charging apparatus, the combination with a loading table and plate elevating mechanism, of a rotary magnetic wheel mounted over said table, said wheel A comprising a pairof circular disks having oppositely disposed circular grooves in their adjacent faces, a circular magnet coil located in an electric circuit and seated in said grooves, an open air-space bein formed between said coil and the plane o the periphery of said disks, and a shield-like annularring -disposed across said air-space.

9. The combination with a support, of a frame mounted in overhanging relation to said support, a shaft journaled in said support, driving means for said shaft, a magnetized Wheel fixed on said shaft, a series of pivoted arms loosely connected to said shaft,

magnetized rollers carried by said arms and normally having engagement with thetop-r most of metal plates carried by said support, and means for elevating said arms and rollers to effect theraising of said topmost plate against the periphery of sa'id wheel.

10. The combinationwith a support,of a frame mounted in overhanging relation to said support, a'shaft journaled in said suprollers for lifting a plate into contact with l the periphery of said wheel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL E. BEDELL.

Witnesses:

EDMUND WHITEHEAD, H. E. DUNLAP. 

